Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 149 in total

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  1. Umpleby AM, Shojaee-Moradie F, Fielding B, Li X, Marino A, Alsini N, et al.
    Clin Sci (Lond), 2017 Nov 01;131(21):2561-2573.
    PMID: 28923880 DOI: 10.1042/CS20171208
    Dietary sugars are linked to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dyslipidaemia, but it is unknown if NAFLD itself influences the effects of sugars on plasma lipoproteins. To study this further, men with NAFLD (n = 11) and low liver fat 'controls' (n = 14) were fed two iso-energetic diets, high or low in sugars (26% or 6% total energy) for 12 weeks, in a randomised, cross-over design. Fasting plasma lipid and lipoprotein kinetics were measured after each diet by stable isotope trace-labelling.There were significant differences in the production and catabolic rates of VLDL subclasses between men with NAFLD and controls, in response to the high and low sugar diets. Men with NAFLD had higher plasma concentrations of VLDL1-triacylglycerol (TAG) after the high (P<0.02) and low sugar (P<0.0002) diets, a lower VLDL1-TAG fractional catabolic rate after the high sugar diet (P<0.01), and a higher VLDL1-TAG production rate after the low sugar diet (P<0.01), relative to controls. An effect of the high sugar diet, was to channel hepatic TAG into a higher production of VLDL1-TAG (P<0.02) in the controls, but in contrast, a higher production of VLDL2-TAG (P<0.05) in NAFLD. These dietary effects on VLDL subclass kinetics could be explained, in part, by differences in the contribution of fatty acids from intra-hepatic stores, and de novo lipogenesis. The present study provides new evidence that liver fat accumulation leads to a differential partitioning of hepatic TAG into large and small VLDL subclasses, in response to high and low intakes of sugars.
  2. Zhang Y, Xu W, Guo H, Zhang Y, He Y, Lee SH, et al.
    Cancer Res, 2017 Apr 17.
    PMID: 28416482 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-1633
    Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) are thought to drive tumor initiation, metastasis, relapse and therapeutic resistance, but their specific pathogenic characters in many cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have yet to be well defined. Here we develop findings that the growth factor HGF promotes CSC sphere formation in NSCLC cell populations. In patient-derived sphere-forming assays (PD-SFA) with HGF, CD49f and CD104 were defined as novel markers of lung CSC (LCSC). In particular, we isolated a subpopulation of CD166(+)CD49f(hi)CD104(-)Lin(-) LCSC present in all human specimens of NSCLC examined, regardless of their histological subtypes or genetic driver mutations. This specific cell population was tumorigenic and capable of self-renewal, giving rise to tumor spheres in vitro and orthotopic lung tumors in immune-compromised mice. Mechanistic investigations established that NOTCH1 was preferentially expressed in this cell subpopulation and required for self-renewal via the transcription factor HES1. Through a distinct HES1-independent pathway, NOTCH1 also protected LCSCs from cisplatin-induced cell death. Notably, treatment with a γ-secretase inhibitor that blunts NOTCH1 function ablated self-renewing LCSC activity and restored platinum sensitivity in vitro and in vivo Overall, our results define the pathogenic characters of a cancer stem-like subpopulation in lung cancer, the targeting of which may relieve platinum resistance in this disease.
  3. Li X, Wang X, Ong P, Yi Z, Ding L, Han C
    Sensors (Basel), 2023 Oct 13;23(20).
    PMID: 37896537 DOI: 10.3390/s23208444
    Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a tropical and subtropical fruit that undergoes multiple ripening cycles throughout the year. Accurate monitoring of the flower and fruit quantities at various stages is crucial for growers to estimate yields, plan orders, and implement effective management strategies. However, traditional manual counting methods are labor-intensive and inefficient. Deep learning techniques have proven effective for object recognition tasks but limited research has been conducted on dragon fruit due to its unique stem morphology and the coexistence of flowers and fruits. Additionally, the challenge lies in developing a lightweight recognition and tracking model that can be seamlessly integrated into mobile platforms, enabling on-site quantity counting. In this study, a video stream inspection method was proposed to classify and count dragon fruit flowers, immature fruits (green fruits), and mature fruits (red fruits) in a dragon fruit plantation. The approach involves three key steps: (1) utilizing the YOLOv5 network for the identification of different dragon fruit categories, (2) employing the improved ByteTrack object tracking algorithm to assign unique IDs to each target and track their movement, and (3) defining a region of interest area for precise classification and counting of dragon fruit across categories. Experimental results demonstrate recognition accuracies of 94.1%, 94.8%, and 96.1% for dragon fruit flowers, green fruits, and red fruits, respectively, with an overall average recognition accuracy of 95.0%. Furthermore, the counting accuracy for each category is measured at 97.68%, 93.97%, and 91.89%, respectively. The proposed method achieves a counting speed of 56 frames per second on a 1080ti GPU. The findings establish the efficacy and practicality of this method for accurate counting of dragon fruit or other fruit varieties.
  4. Chu C, Lutz JA, Král K, Vrška T, Yin X, Myers JA, et al.
    Ecol Lett, 2019 Feb;22(2):245-255.
    PMID: 30548766 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13175
    Climate is widely recognised as an important determinant of the latitudinal diversity gradient. However, most existing studies make no distinction between direct and indirect effects of climate, which substantially hinders our understanding of how climate constrains biodiversity globally. Using data from 35 large forest plots, we test hypothesised relationships amongst climate, topography, forest structural attributes (stem abundance, tree size variation and stand basal area) and tree species richness to better understand drivers of latitudinal tree diversity patterns. Climate influences tree richness both directly, with more species in warm, moist, aseasonal climates and indirectly, with more species at higher stem abundance. These results imply direct limitation of species diversity by climatic stress and more rapid (co-)evolution and narrower niche partitioning in warm climates. They also support the idea that increased numbers of individuals associated with high primary productivity are partitioned to support a greater number of species.
  5. Li X, Peng B, Li J, Tian M, He L
    Protein Pept Lett, 2023;30(12):992-1000.
    PMID: 38013437 DOI: 10.2174/0109298665245603231106050224
    OBJECTIVES: We aim to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of miR-455-5p/SOCS3 pathway that underlie the proliferation, migration, and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells.

    METHODS: Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect miR-455-5p expression in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. CCK8 and Transwell assays were conducted to assess the effects of miR-455-5p on breast cancer line proliferation, migration, and invasion. SOCS3 expression level in breast cancer tissues and cell lines was determined by qPCR and western blotting. The targeting relationship between miR-455-5p and SOCS3 was determined by dual luciferase reporter gene assay in different breast cancer cell lines. Finally, the upstream and downstream regulatory association between miR-455-5p and SOCS3 was confirmed in breast cancer cells by CCK8, western blot, and Transwell assays.

    RESULTS: MiR-455-5p expression was up-regulated in breast cancer tissues; miR-455-5p regulates TNBC proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC. SOCS3 was the direct target of miR-455-5p and was down-regulated in breast cancer. Interference with SOCS3 reversed the inhibitory effect of the miR-455-5p inhibitor on breast cancer cells' malignant potential.

    CONCLUSION: MiR-455-5p promotes breast cancer progression by targeting the SOCS3 pathway and may be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

  6. Mei T, Li Y, Li X, Yang X, Li L, Yan X, et al.
    Int J Sports Med, 2023 Dec 20.
    PMID: 38122824 DOI: 10.1055/a-2234-0159
    This study develops a comprehensive genotype-phenotype model for predicting the effects of resistance training on leg press performance. A cohort of physically inactive adults (N=193) underwent 12 weeks of resistance training, and measurements of maximum isokinetic leg press peak force, muscle mass, and thickness were taken before and after the intervention. Whole-genome genotyping was performed, and genome-wide association analysis identified 85 novel SNPs significantly associated with changes in leg press strength after training. A prediction model was constructed using stepwise linear regression, incorporating 7 lead SNPs that explained 40.4% of the training effect variance. The polygenic score showed a significant positive correlation with changes in leg press strength. By integrating genomic markers and phenotypic indicators, the comprehensive prediction model explained 75.4% of the variance in the training effect. Additionally, five SNPs were found to potentially impact muscle contraction, metabolism, growth, and development through their association with REACTOME pathways. Individual responses to resistance training varied, with changes in leg press strength ranging from -55.83% to 151.20%. The study highlights the importance of genetic factors in predicting training outcomes and provides insights into the potential biological functions underlying resistance training effects. The comprehensive model offers valuable guidance for personalized fitness programs based on individual genetic profiles and phenotypic characteristics.
  7. Li X, Abdullah LC, Sobri S, Syazarudin Md Said M, Aslina Hussain S, Poh Aun T, et al.
    J Air Waste Manag Assoc, 2023 Sep;73(9):649-678.
    PMID: 37449903 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2232744
    Clarifying the spatiotemporal distribution and impact mechanism of pollution is the prerequisite for megacities to formulate relevant air pollution prevention and control measures and achieve carbon neutrality goals. Chongqing is one of the dual-core key megacities in Cheng-Yu region and as a typical mountain-city in China, environmental problems are complex and sensitive. This research aims to investigate the exceeding standard levels and spatio-temporal evolution of criteria pollutants between 2014 and 2020. The results indicated that PM10, PM2.5, CO and SO2 were decreased significantly by 45.91%, 52.86%, 38.89% and 66.67%, respectively. Conversely, the concentration of pollutant O3 present a fluctuating growth and found a "seesaw" phenomenon between it and PM. Furthermore, PM and O3 are highest in winter and summer, respectively. SO2, NO2, CO, and PM showed a "U-shaped", and O3 showed an inverted "U-shaped" seasonal variation. PM and O3 concentrations are still far behind the WHO, 2021AQGs standards. Significant spatial heterogeneity was observed in air pollution distribution. These results are of great significance for Chongqing to achieve "double control and double reduction" of PM2.5 and O3 pollution, and formulate a regional carbon peaking roadmap under climate coordination. Besides, it can provide an important platform for exploring air pollution in typical terrain around the world and provide references for related epidemiological research.Implications: Chongqing is one of the dual-core key megacities in Cheng-Yu region and as a typical mountain city, environmental problems are complex and sensitive. Under the background of the "14th Five-Year Plan", the construction of the "Cheng-Yu Dual-City Economic Circle" and the "Dual-Carbon" goal, this article comprehensively discussed the annual and seasonal excess levels and spatiotemporal evolution of pollutants under the multiple policy and the newest international standards (WHO,2021AQG) backgrounds from 2014 to 2020 in Chongqing. Furthermore, suggestions and measures related to the collaborative management of pollutants were discussed. Finally, limitations and recommendations were also put forward.Clarifying the spatiotemporal distribution and impact mechanism of pollution is the prerequisite for cities to formulate relevant air pollution control measures and achieve carbon neutrality goals. This study is of great significance for Chongqing to achieve "double control and double reduction" of PM2.5 and O3 pollution, study and formulate a regional carbon peaking roadmap under climate coordination and an action plan for sustained improvement of air quality.In addition, this research can advanced our understanding of air pollution in complex terrain. Furthermore, it also promote the construction of the China national strategic Cheng-Yu economic circle and build a beautiful west. Moreover, it provides scientific insights for local policymakers to guide smart urban planning, industrial layout, energy structure, and transportation planning to improve air quality throughout the Cheng-Yu region. Finally, this is also conducive to future scientific research in other regions of China, and even megacities with complex terrain in the world.
  8. Li X, Abdullah LC, Sobri S, Md Said MS, Hussain SA, Aun TP, et al.
    Water Air Soil Pollut, 2023;234(5):328.
    PMID: 37200574 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-023-06279-8
    Currently, air quality has become central to global environmental policymaking. As a typical mountain megacity in the Cheng-Yu region, the air pollution in Chongqing is unique and sensitive. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the long-term annual, seasonal, and monthly variation characteristics of six major pollutants and seven meteorological parameters. The emission distribution of major pollutants is also discussed. The relationship between pollutants and the multi-scale meteorological conditions was explored. The results indicate that particulate matter (PM), SO2 and NO2 showed a "U-shaped" variation, while O3 showed an "inverted U-shaped" seasonal variation. Industrial emissions accounted for 81.84%, 58% and 80.10% of the total SO2, NOx and dust pollution emissions, respectively. The correlation between PM2.5 and PM10 was strong (R = 0.98). In addition, PM only showed a significant negative correlation with O3. On the contrary, PM showed a significant positive correlation with other gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO). O3 is only negatively correlated with relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. These findings provide an accurate and effective countermeasure for the coordinated management of air pollution in Cheng-Yu region and the formulation of the regional carbon peaking roadmap. Furthermore, it can improve the prediction accuracy of air pollution under multi-scale meteorological factors, promote effective emission reduction paths and policies in the region, and provide references for related epidemiological research.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11270-023-06279-8.

  9. Li H, Tang R, Mustapha WAW, Liu J, Hasan KMF, Li X, et al.
    Gels, 2021 Dec 27;8(1).
    PMID: 35049558 DOI: 10.3390/gels8010021
    Gelatin coating is an effective way to prolong the shelf life of meat products. Aiming at solving the problem of flavor deterioration during the storage of pork at room temperature, pork coating technology was developed to preserve the pork at 25 °C, and the comprehensive sensory analysis of vision, touch, smell, and taste was used to study the effect of coating on preservation of pork flavor. Herein, uncoated (control) and coated pork samples (including gelatin coating and gelatin coating incorporated with ginger essential oil) were analyzed to investigate the integrity of pork periodically during storage at 25 °C for weight loss, color, texture (springiness, chewiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and hardness), microstructure, odor (electronic nose), taste (electronic tongue), volatile flavor substance, and taste ingredients. The results suggested that ginger essential oil (GEO) gelatin coating and gelatin coating can effectively inhibit the loss of water dispersion and slow down the oxidation reaction, coating treatments could significantly (p < 0.05) retarded the weight loss of pork slices, with values of 20.19%, 15.95%, 13.12% for uncoated, gelatin coated, and GEO-gelatin coated samples during 24 h of storage, respectively. Compared with control group, the color, texture, smell, and taste evaluations demonstrated that coating treatments had improved sensory and texture attributes during the storage period. Furthermore, the comprehensive results from the physical property assays (especially the texture), morphological assay and volatile odor assays showed that the GEO-fish gelatin composite coating had better preservation effect on pork flavor than the fish gelatin coating. The study suggests that the gelatin composite coating could be developed as a prospective active packaging to preserve pork meat at room temperature.
  10. Li X, Li J, Bai HY, Xu K, Zhang R, Huang Q
    Plant Dis, 2020 Nov 18.
    PMID: 33206019 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-20-2066-PDN
    Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. Juss) Müll. Arg.) is used for the extraction of natural rubber and is an economically and socially important estate crop commodity in many Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, China and several countries in Africa (Pu et al, 2007). Xishuangbanna City and Wenshan City are the main rubber cultivation areas in Yunnan Province, China. In November 2012, rubber tree showing typical wilt symptoms (Fig. 1 A) and vascular stains (Fig. 1 B) were found in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna City. This disease was destructive in these trees and plant wilt death rate reached 5%. The diseased wood pieces (0.5cm long) from trunk of rubber was surface disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30s and 0.1% mercuric chloride (HgCl2) for 2min, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, plated onto malt extract agar medium (MEA), and incubated at 28℃. After 7 days, fungal-like filaments were growing from the diseased trunk. Six cultures from 6 rubber trunk were obtained and incubated on MEA at 28℃, after 7 days to observe the cultural features. The mycelium of each culture was white initially on MEA, and then became dark green. Cylindrical endoconidia apices rounded, non-septate, smooth, single or borne in chains (8.9 to 23.6 × 3.81 to 6.3μm) (Fig. 1 C). Chlamydospores (Fig. 1 D) were abundant, thick walled, smooth, forming singly or in chains (11.1 to 19.2 × 9.4 to 12.0μm). The mould fungus was identifed as Chalaropsis based on morphology (Paulin-Mahady et al. 2002). PCR amplification was carried out for 3 isolates, using rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) primer pairs ITS1F and ITS4 (Thorpe et al. 2005). The nucleotide sequences were deposited in the GenBank data base and used in a Blast search of GenBank. Blast analysis of sequenced isolates XJm8-2-6, XJm8-2 and XJm10-2-6 (accessions KJ511486, KJ511487, KJ511489 respectively) had 99% identity to Ch. thielavioides strains hy (KF356186) and C1630 (AF275491). Thus the pathogen was identified as Ch. thielavioides based on morphological characteristics and rDNA-ITS sequence analysis. Pathogenicity test of the isolate (XJm8-2) was conducted on five 1-year-old rubber seedlings. The soil of 5 rubber seedlings was inoculated by drenching with 40 ml spore suspension (106 spores / ml). Five control seedlings were inoculated with 40 ml of sterile distilled water. All the seedlings were maintained in a controlled greenhouse at 25°C and watered weekly. After inoculated 6 weeks, all the seedlings with spore suspension produced wilt symptoms, as disease progressed, inoculated leaves withered (Fig. 1 E) and vascular stains (Fig. 1 F) by 4 months. While control seedlings inoculated with sterile distilled water remained healthy. The pathogen re-isolated from all inoculated symptomatic trunk was identical to the isolates by morphology and ITS analysis. But no pathogen was isolated from the control seedlings. The pathogenicity assay showed that Ch. thielavioides was pathogenic to rubber trees. Blight caused on rubber tree by Ceratocystis fimbriata previously in Brazil (Valdetaro et al. 2015), and wilt by Ch. thielavioides was not reported. The asexual states of most species in Ceratocystis are "chalara" or "thielaviopsis" (de Beer et al. 2014). To our knowledge, this is the first report of this fungus causing wilt of rubber in China. The spread of this disease may pose a threat to rubber production in China.
  11. Luo Y, Xia J, Zhao Z, Chang Y, Bee YM, Nguyen KT, et al.
    J Diabetes, 2023 Apr 10.
    PMID: 37038616 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13381
    AIMS: To investigate the effectiveness, safety, optimal starting dose, optimal maintenance dose range, and target fasting plasma glucose of five basal insulins in insulin-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from January 2000 to February 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach was adopted. The registration ID is CRD42022319078 in PROSPERO.

    RESULTS: Among 11 163 citations retrieved, 35 publications met the planned criteria. From meta-analyses and network meta-analyses, we found that when injecting basal insulin regimens at bedtime, the optimal choice in order of most to least effective might be glargine U-300 or degludec U-100, glargine U-100 or detemir, followed by neutral protamine hagedorn (NPH). Injecting glargine U-100 in the morning may be more effective (ie, more patients archiving glycated hemoglobin 

  12. Luo Y, Chang Y, Zhao Z, Xia J, Xu C, Bee YM, et al.
    Lancet Reg Health West Pac, 2023 Jun;35:100746.
    PMID: 37424694 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100746
    BACKGROUND: Technological advances make it possible to use device-supported, automated algorithms to aid basal insulin (BI) dosing titration in patients with type 2 diabetes.

    METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials were performed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and quality of life of automated BI titration versus conventional care. The literature in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane databases from January 2000 to February 2022 were searched to identify relevant studies. Risk ratios (RRs), mean differences (MDs), and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effect meta-analyses. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach.

    FINDINGS: Six of the 7 eligible studies (889 patients) were included in meta-analyses. Low- to moderate-quality evidence suggests that patients who use automated BI titration versus conventional care may have a higher probability of reaching a target of HbA1c <7.0% (RR, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.16-2.86]); and a lower level of HbA1c (MD, -0.25% [95% CI, -0.43 to -0.06%]). No statistically significant differences were detected between the two groups in fasting glucose results, incidences of hypoglycemia, severe or nocturnal hypoglycemia, and quality of life, with low to very low certainty for all the evidence.

    INTERPRETATION: Automated BI titration is associated with small benefits in reducing HbA1c without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Future studies should explore patient attitudes and the cost-effectiveness of this approach.

    FUNDING: Sponsored by the Chinese Geriatric Endocrine Society.

  13. Wang R, Ren Q, Gao D, Paudel YN, Li X, Wang L, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2022 Jan 29;289:115018.
    PMID: 35092824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115018
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata), a traditional Chinese herb, known as "Tian Ma", is widely used as a common medicine and diet ingredient for treating or preventing neurological disorders for thousands of years in China. However, the anti-depressant effect of G. elata and the underlying mechanism have not been fully evaluated.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: The study is aimed to investigate the anti-depressant effect and the molecular mechanism of G. elata in vitro and in vivo using PC12 cells and zebrafish model, respectively.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: Network pharmacology was performed to explore the potential active ingredients and action targets of G. elata Blume extracts (GBE) against depression. The cell viability and proliferation were determined by MTT and EdU assay, respectively. TUNEL assay was used to examine the anti-apoptotic effect of GBE. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression level. In addition, novel tank diving test was used to investigate the anti-depressant effect in zebrafish depression model. RT-PCR was used to analyze the mRNA expression levels of genes.

    RESULTS: G. elata against depression on the reticulon 4 receptors (RTN4R) and apoptosis-related targets, which were predicted by network pharmacology. Furthermore, GBE enhanced cell viability and inhibited the apoptosis in PC12 cells against CORT treatment. GBE relieved depression-like symptoms in adult zebrafish, included increase of exploratory behavior and regulation of depression related genes. Mechanism studies showed that the GBE inhibited the expression of RTN4R-related and apoptosis-related genes.

    CONCLUSION: Our studies show the ameliorative effect of G. elata against depression. The mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of RTN4R-related and apoptosis pathways.

  14. Li X, Gao D, Paudel YN, Li X, Zheng M, Liu G, et al.
    ACS Chem Neurosci, 2022 Feb 02;13(3):330-339.
    PMID: 35044760 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00656
    Parkinson's disease (PD) is a devastating disease of the central nervous system that occurs mainly in the elderly age group, affecting their quality of life. The PD pathogenesis is not yet fully understood and lacks the disease-modifying treatment strategies. Sanghuangprous vaninii (S. vaninii) is a perennial fungus with a plethora of pharmacological activities including anti-cancer and antioxidant activity and so on. However, no study till date has reported its neuroprotective effect against symptoms that are similar to PD in pre-clinical investigation. In the current study, we investigated anti-PD-like effects of S. vaninii mycelium extracts (SvMEs) on MPTP-induced PD in zebrafish. We observed that the loss of dopaminergic neurons and neurovascular reduction were reversed by using SvMEs in the zebrafish brain in a concentration-independent manner. Moreover, it also relieved locomotor impairments in MPTP-induced PD zebrafish. In addition, SvMEs exerted significant antioxidant activity in vitro, which was also demonstrated in vivo on ktr4:NTR-hKikGR zebrafish. Upon investigating the underlying mechanism, we found that SvMEs may alleviate oxidant stress and accelerate α-synuclein degradation and then alleviate PD-like symptoms. Antioxidant-related genes (sod1, gss, gpx4a, gclm, and cat) implied that the SvMEs exhibited anti-PD activity due to the antioxidation mechanism. Finally, upon analysis of chemical composition of SvMEs by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we identified 10 compounds that are plausibly responsible for the anti-PD-like effect of SvMEs. On the limiting part, the finding of the study would have been more robust had we investigated the protein expression of genes related to PD and oxidative stress and compared the effects of SvMEs with any standard anti-PD therapy. Despite this, our results indicated that SvMEs possess anti-PD effects, indicating SvMEs as a potential candidate that is worth exploring further in this avenue.
  15. Qiu C, Zhang Z, Li X, Sang S, McClements DJ, Chen L, et al.
    NPJ Sci Food, 2023 Jun 14;7(1):29.
    PMID: 37316567 DOI: 10.1038/s41538-023-00186-2
    In this study, composite nanoparticles consisting of zein and hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin were prepared using a combined antisolvent co-precipitation/electrostatic interaction method. The effects of calcium ion concentration on the stability of the composite nanoparticles containing both curcumin and quercetin were investigated. Moreover, the stability and bioactivity of the quercetin and curcumin were characterized before and after encapsulation. Fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions were the main driving forces for the formation of the composite nanoparticles. The addition of calcium ions promoted crosslinking of the proteins and affected the stability of the protein-cyclodextrin composite particles through electrostatic screening and binding effects. The addition of calcium ions to the composite particles improved the encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant activity, and stability of the curcumin and quercetin. However, there was an optimum calcium ion concentration (2.0 mM) that provided the best encapsulation and protective effects on the nutraceuticals. The calcium crosslinked composite particles were shown to maintain good stability under different pH and simulated gastrointestinal digestion conditions. These results suggest that zein-cyclodextrin composite nanoparticles may be useful plant-based colloidal delivery systems for hydrophobic bio-active agents.
  16. Chen BJ, Liu Y, Yang K, Li X, Dong X, Guan Y, et al.
    Food Chem X, 2023 Dec 30;20:100913.
    PMID: 38144747 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100913
    This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of amylase in hydrolyzing complex carbohydrates of different parts of Ganoderma spp. The aqueous extracts of the Ganoderma samples were analyzed for their selected nutritional composition and physicochemical properties. The purified extracts were also structurally characterized. The aqueous canopy extracts of red-purple Ganoderma had a notably higher total sugar and saponin content than their stalks, but not for the black-type Ganoderma. The enzymatic extraction effectively improved the extraction yields, whereas the amounts of sugars and saponins in some extracts were increased after the enzymatic treatment. The results also showed that only those enzyme-treated cultivated black Ganoderma canopy had increased total sugar and total saponin content. The antioxidant activities of all stalk extracts were higher than the canopy extracts. Their emulsifying properties were comparable with lecithin due to their high saponin content. Therefore, these extracts are new natural emulsifiers.
  17. Sreekar R, Katabuchi M, Nakamura A, Corlett RT, Slik JWF, Fletcher C, et al.
    R Soc Open Sci, 2018 Sep;5(9):181168.
    PMID: 30839691 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181168
    The relationship between β-diversity and latitude still remains to be a core question in ecology because of the lack of consensus between studies. One hypothesis for the lack of consensus between studies is that spatial scale changes the relationship between latitude and β-diversity. Here, we test this hypothesis using tree data from 15 large-scale forest plots (greater than or equal to 15 ha, diameter at breast height ≥ 1 cm) across a latitudinal gradient (3-30o) in the Asia-Pacific region. We found that the observed β-diversity decreased with increasing latitude when sampling local tree communities at small spatial scale (grain size ≤0.1 ha), but the observed β-diversity did not change with latitude when sampling at large spatial scales (greater than or equal to 0.25 ha). Differences in latitudinal β-diversity gradients across spatial scales were caused by pooled species richness (γ-diversity), which influenced observed β-diversity values at small spatial scales, but not at large spatial scales. Therefore, spatial scale changes the relationship between β-diversity, γ-diversity and latitude, and improving sample representativeness avoids the γ-dependence of β-diversity.
  18. Yajima I, Zou C, Li X, Nakano C, Omata Y, Kumasaka MY
    Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi, 2015;70(2):105-9.
    PMID: 25994340 DOI: 10.1265/jjh.70.105
    Heavy-metal pollution occurs in various environments, including water, air and soil, and has serious effects on human health. Since heavy-metal pollution in drinking water causes various diseases including skin cancer, it has become a global problem worldwide. However, there is limited information on the mechanism of development of heavy-metal-mediated disease. We performed both fieldwork and experimental studies to elucidate the levels of heavy-metal pollution and mechanisms of development of heavy-metal-related disease and to develop a novel remediation system. Our fieldwork in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Malaysia demonstrated that drinking well water in these countries was polluted with high concentrations of several heavy metals including arsenic, barium, iron and manganese. Our experimental studies based on the data from our fieldwork demonstrated that these heavy metals caused skin cancer and hearing loss. Further experimental studies resulted in the development of a novel remediation system with which toxic heavy metals were absorbed from polluted drinking water. Implementation of both fieldwork and experimental studies is important for prediction, prevention and therapy of heavy-metal-mediated diseases.
  19. Qiu Z, Shen Q, Jiang C, Yao L, Sun X, Li J, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2021;16:2311-2322.
    PMID: 33776435 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S302396
    Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative chronic disorder that causes dementia and problems in thinking, cognitive impairment and behavioral changes. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) is a peptide involved in AD progression, and a high level of Aβ is highly correlated with severe AD. Identifying and quantifying Aβ levels helps in the early treatment of AD and reduces the factors associated with AD.

    Materials and Methods: This research introduced a dual probe detection system involving aptamers and antibodies to identify Aβ. Aptamers and antibodies were attached to the gold (Au) urchin and hybrid on the carbon nanohorn-modified surface. The nanohorn was immobilized on the sensor surface by using an amine linker, and then a Au urchin dual probe was immobilized.

    Results: This dual probe-modified surface enhanced the current flow during Aβ detection compared with the surface with antibody as the probe. This dual probe interacted with higher numbers of Aβ peptides and reached the detection limit at 10 fM with R2=0.992. Furthermore, control experiments with nonimmune antibodies, complementary aptamer sequences and control proteins did not display the current responses, indicating the specific detection of Aβ.

    Conclusion: Aβ-spiked artificial cerebrospinal fluid showed a similar response to current changes, confirming the selective identification of Aβ.

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